Living in the Shadow
by toadster
Summary: Post, during, and pre-grandia 2 stories


The nature of evil eluded Ryudo. To him, there was no sheer black and white; it all held a gray hue. Valmar, Granas, good, evil what was it to a mortal? None of it held any sway over him. Love, hate, what was it but the feelings he held down every day? Everyone he knew deserted him, or he felt the need to run from. All the emotions he held were in vain, but still he held them barely in check. He felt he had nothing, all he knew had deserted him. Melfice, his brother, had attempted to steal ultimate power, and in a moment of weakness, killed the girl Ryudo considered his sister. Their village never could see past Melfice's wronging, and Ryudo was just "Melfice's little brother" to them. Ryudo had to run away, or else be the scapegoat for the village's hatred of Melfice.  
  
So Ryudo ran, for years that seemed to stretch into eternity. The only thing he felt he could lie his trust in was Skye. Skye was a true companion, always lending a hand, or claw, to Ryudo in exchange just for companionship. Together, they made enough money to scrape along. Ryudo was a Geohound, a hired hand, and this brought them enough money to eat and sleep. The life they led was minimalist; they had no comforts, and nothing they did not need. Ryudo tried his hardest to keep them both alive, often accepting hard, nearly impossible, jobs for meager pay. Life was a constant chore, but they both sucked up their pride and fought on.  
  
Ryudo trudged along a beaten path, Skye on his shoulder. They had not had a job in weeks, and their money was wearing thin. Everywhere they went there were no jobs. They moved along, not wanting the impending storm to catch them in the middle of the woods. Unfortunately, they did have enough money to go to any inn for the night, but they needed shelter. "Where is the nearest town, Skye?" Ryudo asked, knowing Skye could fly faster than Ryudo could run. "I shall see." Skye replied, then left his perch on Ryudo's shoulder. He flew off, and into the distance, leaving Ryudo behind him. He flew up above the trees, almost to the bottom of the clouds. Scanning the horizon, he noticed flames spouting from a clearing. He turned in midair, and flew back to Ryudo, making haste to the best of his ability. Landing on Ryudo's shoulder, he spoke. "About two miles ahead, there is a fire, perhaps we should find work there."  
  
"Skye, you said all we need to know. Work…. After such a long dry spell. Perhaps there's some food to eat. Let's go, lead me to it."  
  
Skye left Ryudo's shoulder again, and flew a few feet in front of him. Ryudo began to run, following Skye's lead. For two whole miles, Ryudo ran behind Skye. Slowly, he began to feel an intense heat, the fire was close. Then he saw it, an inferno. An entire town was in flames. "Skye! Quick, see if anyone is alive!" Skye left his perch again, and flew around. He saw plenty of bodies, none alive. He kept searching, to no avail. Looking towards the fire, he saw a figure in the middle. "Ryudo!" He shouted, "I found something!" Ryudo scanned the skyline, and found where Skye was. He ran to a point below Skye and shouted, "what did you find?"  
  
"In the middle of the fire, a person."  
  
Ryudo ran to the fire's edge, then took a few steps back. The heat was insane; it was a wonder anyone could be in it. Running forward, Ryudo leaped into the flames. They licked at his clothing, charring some of it, but he landed safely in the middle of the flames. In the middle of the pyre was a clearing, and in the clearing stood a familiar figure. He was dressed in a red cape and armor, holding a sword. His hair was blue, and around his head was a metal helmet. "Ryudo," the figure spoke. "I'm not surprised to find you here. I knew that this would draw you." He waved his hand at the fire and the destruction.  
  
"Melfice! Why did you do this? They were people, they did nothing to you."  
  
"Yes, they were people. They served their purpose. They drew you here, brother."  
  
Melfice turned, revealing a horn on his helmet. A source of power, of dark intent. The horn caught the fire's light, and warped it. Melfice brought his sword to bear on Ryudo. "Let's get this over with, brother. You know that you so wish to beat me. Now you have the chance." Ryudo drew his sword, and stood at ready.  
  
"When did you lose it, Melfice? When did you lust for power become so great that you resorted to murder? You could have been much more than this."  
  
"When will you realize that power is the only way? Power makes leaders, leaders make the future. Valmar is power. Realize it, Ryudo, you will benefit. You're going to lose, you always did."  
  
Ryudo charged at Melfice, sword ready to make a quick victory. Melfice merely sidestepped, and tripped Ryudo with his own sword. "You're too hasty, brother. You can't win by just charging in blindly. Your rage blinds you, and you let it. Weak, Ryudo. Weak."  
  
Ryudo picked himself up off the ground, and dusted himself off. His hand held his sword, shaking with a barely contained rage. He tried to calm himself, to clear his mind, but all he saw was this demon-man before him. The killer, the one who destroyed the sister he never had. Traitor, coward, all these words flew around inside Ryudo's mind. Melfice, the reason that he now stood here, the reason he gave up the life he led. His vision blurred, and he felt himself fade into a different place. He pulled his sword to level on Melfice's head, and stood there, dazed.  
  
"Come on, Ryudo," Melfice taunted him, "fight. Or are you just… afraid. It's all right if you are afraid. You know you cannot win."  
  
Ryudo shook his head, regaining his vision. He knew Melfice was the better swordsman, he always was. Ryudo knew he lived in Melfice's shadow. He knew he would never be the better, but he had to try. He took a swing at Melfice, who blocked and punched Ryudo in the face. Ryudo fell, unconscious. Melfice looked at the unconscious form of his brother, and felt pity. Melfice knew Ryudo had dedicated his life to getting out of Melfice's shadow. He knew that he would always be "Melfice's little brother."  
  
Melfice walked calmly out of the fire, and into the woods, just as the rain began to fall. Skye landed by Ryudo, and tried to wake him up, knowing that again Melfice had won. "Another day, Melfice." Skye muttered into the oncoming darkness. 


End file.
